The Beast from the East and the Polar Vortex - Meet Dr. Simon Lee

The Beast from the East and the Polar Vortex - Meet Dr. Simon Lee

Author: Gemma Plumb & Aisling Creevey November 30, 2022 Duration: 54:24

It's time for a brand new season of For the Love of Weather podcast and Aisling and Gemma are thrilled to have made it to season five.

Our special guest tonight is Dr. Simon Lee. Simon is an expert in the polar vortex, more specifically stratosphere-troposphere coupling, a fascinating subject and something that caused the 'Beast from the East in 2018'.

Simon gives us a tour of the upper atmosphere and and how it can change our day to day weather in such extreme ways. From widespread snow to severe flooding the polar vortex is the source of many of the extreme weather events in the UK. Amongst many nuggets of information he also explains why the ozone hole is focused over the poles.

Simon also tells us about his favourite biscuits, favourite clouds and favourite time of day and also exactly where out of space is.

You can find Dr. Simon Lee on Twitter @SimonLeeWx and we highly recommend you follow him.

If you would like to follow our podcast on Twitter @4loveofweather or Instagram @Fortheloveofweather Thanks so much for listening and supporting the podcast and we hope you leave this episode loving the weather that little bit more.


Ever find yourself actually enjoying a rainy afternoon or wondering why a certain cloud looks the way it does? You're not alone. For the love of weather is the ongoing conversation between meteorologists Gemma Plumb and Aisling Creevey, who have spent over fifteen years forecasting across the UK. This podcast captures the kind of deep-dive chats they've been having for years, moving far beyond simple small talk. They pull back the curtain on what weather really means for our daily lives, drawing on a surprising range of experience. Their professional paths have seen them predicting conditions for everything from major music festivals and national rail networks to agricultural harvests and even ice cream demand, giving them a unique perspective on how the atmosphere connects to the ground beneath our feet. Each episode feels like sitting with two experts who are still genuinely fascinated by their subject, discussing the science behind a storm front, the challenges of a long-range forecast, or how a shift in the wind can change an entire industry's plans. It's a look at the patterns and stories in the sky, grounded in the reality of jobs, life changes, and a shared curiosity that hasn't faded. Tune in for a human take on the forces that shape our days.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

For the love of weather
Podcast Episodes
The records we don’t want to break. The June 2026 Heatwave.  [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:15
You can find this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/13oYbutPmyQWhat a week it's been for millions of people in the UK.The recent UK heatwave broke records, in fact not just broke but smashed records; not the type of re…
Translating the climate with Bernadette Woods Placky [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:05
In this episode of For the Love of Weather, Gemma and Aisling are joined by renowned meteorologist and climate communicator Bernadette Woods Placky. At the time of recording Bernadette was the Chief Meteorologist and Cli…
Meet Caroline Cox, Earth Observation Algorithm Scientist [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:00
Meet Caroline Cox, Earth Observation Algorithm Scientist with RAL Space. She works on satellite missions that help us understand our planet better. From calibrating brand-new satellite instruments to turning raw space da…